Why Rudy Needs To Win The Nomination

This little clip has got folks from Hannity to the Michigan Republican Party all up in arms. And they should be. He's obviously not working from the same script and he doesn't care what anyone thinks. And he's catching on. Take a look at the instapoll there in the middle of the Hannity clip. Ron Paul polled in the 20s. He's elevated himself into second-tier status almost overnight. He truly is becoming a Dean-like figure for the Republicans.

Certainly the most disturbing part of that exchange was Rudy jumping ugly with Paul, once again declaring himself Mayor 911. It's an important moment and one which needs to be explored. And this exchange crystallized for me why Rudy needs to win his party's nomination. We as a nation need to sit down and have a discussion about 9/11 and what it means to us six years later. And more importantly, it's time we discuss what we want a post-9/11 nation to look like.

I don't believe we're going to have that discussion with any other candidate. McCain has wedded himself to Iraq. Romney can't figure out from day-to-day who he is. And Huckabee, the guy I originally supported, is a lost homophobe. This leaves Rudy, who will never tire of reminding us he was mayor of New York City on September 11th 2001, just as John Kerry never tired of reminding us he was a Vietnam veteran.

Update:Here's a reason to like Rudy. I wonder whether Dobson is the king maker he believes he is. I wonder whether he ever was. Forces way more powerful than him were behind GWB's 2000 ascension. He was just sort of along for the ride. This next election may show how little influence he, and Falwell for that matter, ever truly had.